Window safety belt support



Sept 19, 1950 a. s. NELSON WINDOW SAFETY BELT SUPPORT Filed July 5, 1945 NVENTOR. v SVA/60 en MM I gg M MNE I Q Patented Sept. 19, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT orFFicE 2,523,048 WINDOW SAFETY BELT SUPPORT Ben S. Nelson, `Oak Park, Ill.

Application July 5, 1945, Serial No. 603,331

(Cl. 18S- 76) Claims. l

The present invention relates to window structures and more particularly to improved facilities for supporting a safety belt of the type used by window Washers from a Window sash.

In many modern oflice and factory buildings, installations of solid steel window sash have been made with the intent that the windows should be cleaned from the building interior by reversing each Window Ventilating section and reaching through the open ventilator to clean the outside of the glass in the adjacent sections. In the larger installations, particularly in buildings with high ceilings, the windows are made up in sections, with as many as seven vertical sections, thus rendering it impossible to clean the outside window surfaces from the interior of the building. Designed to be cleaned from the inside, no provisions are made in such installations for the attachment and support of window washers safety belts. Moreover, in the usual installation of this character only a small strip of metal at each side of the sash, having a width of approximately 1/4 to sg", is left between the masonry column and the glass panes in the first sections of the sash, the balance of each sash side being embedded in the adjacent concrete, stone or brick column to hold the sash permanently in place. Thus conventional methods of attaching the belt lugs cannot be used. Since the development of window cleaning as an industry, it has become common practice for window washers to work on the outside of the windows, including windows of the type mentioned, due to the ability of the washers to work faster and to their inability to reach the outside window surfaces from the interior of a building. The lack of safety belt supports on windows of the character mentioned has resulted in numerotus serious accidents and fatalities.

It is an object of the present invention, therefore, to provide for use with a window of the character described, improved facilities for supporting a safety belt or the like.

It is another object of the invention to provide an improved safety belt support which may be installed upon the window sash of existing window installations of the character mentioned.

It is a further object of the invention to provide safety belt supporting facilities of the character described which are of simple and rugged construction, and may be easily and economically installed.

The invention, both as to its organization and method of operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof, will best be understood by reference 'to the following specification taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which: y

Fig. 1 is an elevational view of a window structureof the steel sash type having the present improved safety beltsupporting facilities associated with the two sides thereof;

Fig. 2 isan enlarged fragmentary viewbetter illustrating one of the supports Vshown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along the lines 3 3 in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is an interior view of the lsupport vshown in Fig. 2;

' Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken along the lines 5 5 in Fig. 2, assuming that Fig. 2 is a complete enlarged View of a portion of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 6 is a sectional View likeFig. 3 but illustrating the arrangement' of the parts prior yto complete assembly.

Referring now to the drawings and'more particularly to Fig. 1 thereof, the present improved safety belt supporting-facilities are there illustrated in their association with a multi-section window lll of the steel sash type'which is'prvided in avsuitable window apertureA of a building I4 constructed 'of v`masonry such, for example, as brick,'concrete, or stone. The window isicomprised of a stationary uppersection I2 two y'v'v'indow sections high and three window sections `of the window opening to be opened andclosed for ventilatingpurposes. lIhe Window panes of this movable section are, of course, carriedby a separate frame Which is pivotally supported by the main window fram-e I8 of steelconstruction and forming a permanent part of the building wall in which the window II! is provided. As

' best shown in Fig. 3 of the drawing, this frame is provided at its outer sides with a flange -ltd whic'hisv embedded in the masonry work supporting the window structure. It is also provided ,withsuitable cross and vertical muntins forming the sash sections and having internal shoulders against which the Window panes are supported. These shoulders'are identical, those provided by the muntins Ia, Ib and I8c being shown Vin Figs. 3 and 5 of the'drawings.

'As will be evident frorn-an inspection of the window shown in Fig. lof the drawing, cleaning of the exterior surfaces Vof thewindow from the interior thereof is practically impossible since it involves reaching out through the Ventilating space aiTorded by the movable window section I I in order to reach the outer surfaces of the window panes forming the stationary section I2 of the window. It will also be apparent from a consideration of Fig. 3 of the drawing, that an inadequate portion of the frame I8 is available between the inner surface Illa of the masonry column and the edge of the muntin along this column to permit a safety belt support to be securely mounted thereon. Specically, the width of the exposed side portion of the sash is usually of the order of 1A, which obviously is inadequate for the purpose mentioned. Moreover, the thickness of the masonry column exteriorly of the frame ange |8d is usually of the order of several inches, thus effectively rendering this iiange unavailable as a base upon which a safety belt support may be mounted.

In accordance with the present invention, the above diiiiculties are obviated by providing safety belt supports within the window pane area of two opposed and horizontally aligned sections |2a and I2b of the frame I8. These supports are adapted for interlocking engagement with the usual safety belt hooks I6 provided at opposite ends of a window washers safety belt indicated at I'l. The supports are of identical construction.

In brief, that mounted within the area of the window sash section I2b comprises a structural member 20 of channel cross section which is mounted upon the sash or frame against the shoulder afforded by the vertical muntin IBa provided along the side of the sash adjacent the masonry column, and comprises a web portion 20a and two side flanges 20h and 20c, As best shown in Fig. of the drawing, the upper and lower ends of the web portion 20a respectively seat against the internal shoulders afforded by the upper and lower muntins Ib and Ic of the sash. The flange 20h of this member is arranged at an angle of slightly more than 90 degrees relative to the web portion 20a of the member. This ange is adapted to be clamped to the muntin Ia of the frame I8. To this end, threaded studs 2| are welded or likewise rigidly mounted upon the sash I8 along the muntin I8a. These studs are appropriately spaced to extend through similarly spaced openings in the flange 2Gb. Nuts 22, lock washers 23 and plain washers 23a are disposed on the studs 2|. The nuts 22 are employed to draw the flange 2Gb into clamping engagement with the side of the frame I8. During this clamping operation, the end portions of the web 2i|a are forced into seating engagement with the internal shoulder provided along the upper and lower muntins |819 and I8c. As thus mounted within the opening of the sash section |219, the structural member 20 shortens the horizontal dimension of this sash opening by an amount equal to its width and also occupies the shoulder along the muntin I8a which normally affords support for one edge of a window pane. In order to provide an auxiliary window pane supporting shoulder to take the place of that along the muntin Ia, a plate or strip 2li. is xedly mounted upon the web 20a of the member 20 to cooperate with the flange 20c of this member in supplying the required seat for the edge of a window pane. Preferably, this plate is spot welded to the web 20a as indicated at 24a at various points along the length thereof. As will be evident from Fig. 3 of the drawing, the inner supporting surface of the plate 24 is co-planar with the supporting shoulders of the muntins IBb, |8c and I 8e and in cooperation with these shoulders may be employed to support a window pane I9 of smaller area than the original pane area of the sash section |217. This pane may be held in place against the internal shoulders of the three muntins |819, |8c and |8e and the plate 24 by means of putty or the like,

The web 20a of the member 20 is also employed to support an attachment I5 having lugs I5a adapted for engagement with a safety belt attachment I6. More specifically, the attachment I5 is provided with a base bolted to the web 20a by means of bolts 25 and has hook lugs |5a formed integral therewith. The belt attachment or hook I6 is of conventional construction, being slotted as indicated at Ia for interlocking engagement with the headed lugs I 5a and being provided with the usual locking spring Ib for preventing disengagement of the attachment from the upper lug |5a. This spring carries a finger loop IBc which may be used to retract the spring and thus permit removal of the attachment from the lugs Ilia. At its lower end, the attachment I6 is provided with a belt loop Id to which one end of the safety belt Il may be connected.

From the above explanation, it will be understood that the present improved safety belt supporting facilities may readily be installed in an existing window installation without destruction or removal of the installation and in an entirely simple manner. Thus, to install the two supports illustrated in Fig. l of the drawing, it is only necessary to remove the panes from the window sash sections |2a and |217, fabricate the studs 2| to the sides of the sash, assemble the member 2! and the parts carried thereby upon the studs and clamp the flange 20h of this member against the side of each sash upon which the studs 2| are mounted. Following this, a window pane I9 cut to the required dimensions may be mounted within the opening of each of the sash sections |20. and |217 to complete the job. All of the described opeiations may be performed from the interior of the building in which the window I0 is provided. In this regard it will be understood that the parts I5 and 24 are preassembled upon the supporting member 20 before this member is installed in a window sash. The described facilities furnish exceedingly rugged support for a safety belt attachment I 6. Thus, not only is the member 2|] rigidly mounted upon the window sash by means of the studs 2 I, but the ends thereof are interlocked with the associated upper and lower muntins |81) and Ic to provide additional support for any weight imposed upon the member I5. This dual support of the member 2|) effectively eliminates any possibility of failure of the structure.

While there has been described what is at present considered to be the preferred embodiment of the invention, it will be understood that various modifications may be made therein which are within the true spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A safety belt support adapted to be mounted upon a metal window sash having an internal shoulder for supporting a window pane, comprising a structural member having a web seating upon the shoulder along one side of said sash so that one dimension of the window opening is shortened by the width of said web and having ends seating against the shoulders along two other sides of said Sash, said member having a flange extending from said web along one side thereof, means for clamping said ange to said sash along said one side thereof, said flange extending from said web at an angle of slightly more than ninety degrees, whereby the ends of said web are forced into seating engagement with the shoulders along said two other sides of said sash as said flange is clamped to said one side of said sash, said member including means providing a window pane supporting shoulder laterally displaced from the shoulder along said one sash side which together with the shoulders along said two other sides and the fourth side of said sash is adapted to support a window pane of smaller area than the original window area of said sash, and an attachment carried by said web and provided with means adapted for engagement with a safety belt attachment.

2. A window `construction supported by a masonry structure, comprising a metal window sash having a flange along one side thereof embedded in said masonry structure and having an internal shoulder for supporting a window pane, a structural member mounted upon the shoulder along said one side of said sash so that one dimens-ion of the window sash is shortened by the width of said member, means carried by said member to provide a windo-w pane supporting shoulder which together with the shoulders along the other three sides of said sash support a window pane of smaller area than the original pane area of said sash, and a hook fastened to said member engageable with a safety belt.

3. A window construction supported by a masonry structure, comprising a metal window sash having a flange along one vertical side thereof embedded in said masonry structure and having an internal shoulder for supporting a window pane, a structural member mounted upon said sash against the shoulder along said one side of said sash so that one dimension of the window sash is shortened by the width of said member, the ends of said member seating against the shoulders along horizontal parts of said sash,

said member including means defining a window pane supporting shoulder laterally displaced from said one sash side which together with the shoulders along the other three sides of said sash support a window of smaller area than the original window area of said sash, and a hook fastened to said member engageable with a safety belt.

4. A window construction supported by a masonry structure, comprising a metal window sash having a flange along one vertical side thereof embedded in said masonry structure and having an internal shoulder for supporting a window pane, a structural member having a web seating upon the shoulder along said one. side of said sash so that one dimension of the window opening is shortened by the width of said web and having ends seating against the shoulders along the horizontal sides of said sash, said member having a flange extendingfrom said web along one side thereof, means for clamping said flange to said sash along said one side thereof, said flange extending from said web at an angle of slightly more than ninety degrees, whereby the ends of said-web are forced into seating engagement with the shoulders along said horizontal sides of said sash as said flange is clamped to said one side of said sash, said member including means providing a window pane supporting shoulder laterally displaced from the shoulder along said one sash side which together with the shoulders along the other three sides of said sash support a window pane of smaller area than the original window area of said sash, and an attachment carried by said web and provided with means adapted for engagement with a safety belt attachment.

5. A window construction supported by a masonry structure, comprising a metal window sash having a glass pane opening therein framed by horizontal and vertical metal frame portions, a structural member in said opening which reduces the open area thereof and having a flange secured to a vertical frame portion and a web extending into said opening and supported on horizontal frame portions, said structural member having a shoulder extensionthereo-n extending laterally relative to said web andinto said opening to receive a glass pane thereon and acting together with the metal frame portions to support said glass pane, and safety belt supporting attachments secured to the web of said structural member.

BEN S. NELSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,026,838 Weis May 21, 1912 1,319,889 y Minnis Oct-28, 1919 1,319,890 Minnis Oct. 28, 1919 1,908,436 McIntosh s May 9, 1933 2,182,576 Bancroft Dec. 5, 1939 

